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Tangible Israeli Gains Required If Palestinian State Is Established

Uzi Arad (Ynet News) - * It is an absolute must that the Palestinians fulfill all their security obligations under the first phase of the Road Map plan. We must demand they dismantle the terrorist infrastructure - mainly Hamas - and take concrete steps. Strategies to accomplish this have already been laid out in an appendix to the 1997 Wye River Accord, in the Tennet and Zinni plans, and in the Road Map. * Should they fulfill those obligations, it will be possible to move on to the second stage of the Road Map, at which point Israel must act according to the following principles. 1. Normalization. In return for agreeing to Palestinian statehood, Israel must receive full normalization from the entire Arab/Muslim world. In addition, Israel must become fully integrated at the United Nations, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the European Union, and NATO. 2. Diplomatic calm. It is not enough for the Palestinian state to assume security responsibility and to completely rein in the armed groups operating in its territory. The Palestinians must also cease attempts to harm Israel politically. Attempts by the new state to isolate Israel internationally must be rejected. 3. Demilitarization. The Palestinian state will be established from the outset as a non-military entity, and will not have the right to sign military treaties. This principle has already been presented to both the international community and the Palestinians in previous negotiations, and Israel must not back off from this demand. 4. Most importantly: In the second stage of the Road Map Israel must capitalize on understandings reached with the President of the United States with regard to what the Palestinians call the "right" of 1948 refugees and their descendants to return to now-sovereign Israel. The international community must be forced to accept Israel and the United States' position on this matter, and must convince the Palestinians to do the same. * If Israel jumps ahead to Stage II of the Road Map without ensuring the Palestinians fulfill their Stage I obligations and without ensuring they produce the necessary compensation for entering the second phase, that will leave Israel with no bargaining chips for the issues of Jerusalem and final, defensible borders. Dr. Uzi Arad, former Director of Intelligence in the Mossad, is the founding head of the Institute for Policy and Strategy at the Lauder School of Government, Diplomacy and Strategy of the Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya.
2005-10-12 00:00:00
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